1995 Oldsmobile Silhouette Owner's Manual - Page 194

Steering in Emergencies There are times when steering can be more effective than braking. For example, you come over a hill and find a truck stopped inyour lane, or a car suddenly pulls out from nowhere, or a child darts out from between parked cars and stops right in front of you. You can avoid these problems by braking -- if you can stop in time. But sometimes you can't; there isn't room. That's the time for evasive action -- steering around the problem. Your Oldsmobile can perform very well in emergencies like these. First apply your brakes. (See "Braking in Emergencies" earlier in this section.) It is better to remove as much speed as you can from a possible collision. Then steer around the problem, to the left or right depending on the space available. An emergency like this requires close attention and a quick decision. If you are holdingthe steering wheel at the recommended 9 and 3 o'clock positions, you can turn it a full 180 degrees very quickly without removing either hand.But you have to act fast, steer quickly, and just as quickly straighten the wheel once you have avoided the object. Off-Road Recovery You may find sometime that your right wheels have dropped off the edge of a road onto the shoulder while you're driving. If the level of the shoulder isonly slightly below the pavement, recovery should be fairly easy. Ease off the accelerator and then, if there is nothing in the way, steer so that your vehicle straddles the edge of the pavement. You can turn the steering wheel up to 1/4 turn until the right front tire contacts the pavement edge. Then turn your steering wheel to go straight down the roadway. L T DOWN e SLOW / y p / , edge of paved surface The fact that such emergency situations arealways possible is a good reason to practice defensive driving at all times and wear safety belts properly. 4-12